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Guys love big boy toys and that’s what this sled is. I like using automotive references and this one is like the new comfortable Cadillac roadsters that are smooth and handle well, but also have the horsepower of a Corvette.
Cat continues to back up its claim of having the fastest production sled on the planet with the Z1 Turbo and its 180+ horsepower Suzuki 1056cc EFI liquid twin 4-stroke with a turbocharger. This season we evaluated this speedster in Sno Pro trim.
What’s different?
After riding the standard Z1 Turbo as a long-term test sled the previous winter, this was the logical next step up on the testosterone ladder. There aren’t a lot of differences between the standard Z1 Turbo and the Z1 Turbo Sno Pro, but those few differences are significant.
The most noticeable is the Fox Float shocks on the front suspension. The load-optimizing Fox Float 2 air shocks are about 6 lbs. lighter than the standard coil-over setup we had on our standard Z1 Turbo earlier. Cat also puts Fox IFP (internal floating piston) shocks in the rear suspension and the rear shock is a larger, heavy duty 2-inch diameter version.
Another big change from the standard Z1 Turbo to the Sno Pro is the track. The Sno Pro has a single-ply 1.25-inch lugged Cobra track while the standard Z1 Turbo has a 1-inch lugged standard HackSaw track. The standard (shorter lugged) HackSaw track supports higher top-end speeds, but we feel does not hook up nearly as well as the Cobra in loose trail snow.
The final significant difference is the addition of Cat’s Infinite Rider Positioning on the S.P. With upward of 7 positions that the seat can be moved up/forward or down/back this sled can be made comfortable for any size rider. The riser also can be moved to about 11 different positions fore and aft and the bars can rotate almost 90 degrees and locked in anywhere within that rotation. This is extremely nice when there are different riders taking turns testing a sled because each rider can make the sled more comfortable for his or her riding position and style.
And yes, this one comes with Bold New Graphics (BNG) as well.
What we like
Smooth, unbridled, sophisticated turbo power! You want to cruise down a former railroad grade? This sled can handle that for hours at a time and not bat an eye... oh, and it can do it at near triple digit speeds! It’s not just that this sled has great top-end, but it’s fun getting there! The Turbo Sno Pro also handles extremely well, considering it tips the scales at 700+ pounds when fully wet. Through sweeping corners and even relatively rough trails, just open up the Turbo and “let her eat!” The Fox Float shocks and rough trail capabilities of the Twin Spar chassis make this an enjoyable sled to saddle up for ultra-high mileage days through varying trail conditions. This one gets well above average gas mileage too (16.7 mpg for the season, our second best performer) and obviously it’s a 4-stroke so leave the 2-stroke engine oil at home!
There’s a lot of room in the trunk for your junk too! That storage is under the seat and the trunk is waterproof too.
What it’s not intended for
The Turbo isn’t the sled you want to end up on while following your buddies boondocking through two feet of powder down old logging roads, or through miles of super huge moguls. It takes more muscle to keep up with lighter sleds in uber- tight trails too. We also put a larger windshield on the sled before we put a single mile on it as we knew we needed more wind protection over its original shield.
In addition, we had several issues with the air cowl coming off the side, this happened repeatedly, simply while driving down the trail through medium to large moguls. The Z1 Turbo Sno Pro is also certainly not for those consumers on a budget, as this one will set you back some major coin.